E-Unit Lionel 2337 GP-7

Yes you can buy parts. If you do, might as well buy new fingers too then you have a rebuilt unit. Using a pair of pliers will spread the unit open. Closing it is the tricky part as everything must be in place as you snap it shut.

Get a 259E-1 drum for about $5.00 and an ST-303 E-unit spreader bar for about $3.50.

Drums are not that hard to replace.
I like to remove the e-unit, to do so you will have to unsolder and solder wires. But you would have to do that with a replacement e-unit too.

There are a number of good videos on YouTube, and plenty of written advice here on how to do it.

I suggest picking a parts vendor and buying your parts there. EBay parts tend to be very expensive.
One of my favorite parts guys is Train Tender.

Inspect the contact fingers on the e-unit. You may want to change them too.
Careful, they are easily bent.

You may want to order an extra part or two.
I keep e-unit renewal parts on hand.

Steve, try www.ttender.com  Jeff will fix you up.

Thank you for your Feedback.   I went and Looked at the Train Tender and looks like he has what I need.

Question on the contact fingers.   Looks like I need the 3 wire #100-45   Do I also need the 100-46 ?  is that the one on the bottom ?

I might also get a replacement horn.

Steve

Besides 'snapping' it all back together, you will need to bend the contacts on the fingers to about a 15% angle before assembling. If they are too straight, the drum will rotate 'past' the contact point. If too tight, it requires more current to rotate the drum. Be prepared to take apart several times when doing your first unit. If you are buying 'unwired' fingers, make sure you solder the wire leads BEFORE 'snapping' the unit together, as you could easily 'melt' the drum if you solder the wires after assembly.  "DO NOT BE AFRAID", just use some 'patience'.   Harry

Harry Henning posted:

"DO NOT BE AFRAID"

Says the man after about a thousand of these things.

I sent my order into Jeff at the Train Tender and received the parts  Tuesday Sept 6 .   Thanks to Jeff for his prompt response.  Putting the drum into the e-unit was tricky, but after several tries got it fixed.  Also fixed the horn.   I also got some replacement brushed for the motor.  And got some replacement buckets for my 97 coal elevator,  have several missing.  Will get to that project later.  Going to Boulder this weekend to go to the CU Buffs football game with my son.

Steve

Good job! If you aren't careful you will be cruising train shows looking for "fixer-uppers", which is fun. I got a 2328 Burlington, which looked like someone used rubbing compound to help the paint. It didn't. I bought it at an auction for cheap, when I got it home, it was like new under the hood. My friend Marv stripped the paint, primed it (3 times) then painted it with Testor's silver, lettered it and gave it a light coat of Dullcoat. When he was close to done, I stripped the paint off the frame, straightened it and did minor body work, then sprayed it with an older can of "frame red" and it looks super. More fun than fixing electronics, in my book.